AN: I was going to wait until Hiccup's birthday to post this, but I've kept you waiting long enough ^_^

BTW: Favorite OC poll is back up. You are allowed two choices.

(...)

"What happened to your arms?" Dragon asked when they were washing their hands.

It took Valka a moment to realize she was the addressee of the question, and what it was that her husband's son referred to. She had completely forgotten about those bruises, the results of Stoick squishing her wrists a little too hard during the not-so-pleasant conversation they've had over her sudden leave (some would have called it an interrogation, but Valka refused to). The skin on her forearms was red for the first two days following her departure from Berk. By now, the bruises have taken a greenish hue.

"Oh, it's nothing," Valka said, doing her best to appear careless. With controlled haste, she shook off the reminders of water into the basin and grabbed the cloth Rhea offered her.

Dragon, however, was not easily discouraged. "Were you in chains?" he guessed, his excitement increasing.

Valka pulled her sleeves back down. She didn't blame her husband for leaving this kind of markings on her body – with his strength, such things just happened, even when he didn't mean them. Still, explaining this to third parties was not something she was comfortable with.

Fortunately, Rhea knew what to do. "Dragon, don't distract Valka. She's not going to start telling you a new story before she finishes the one she's already telling."

"Oh, right," the boy conceded. With that, his attention was shifted to towards the steaming pot of cabbage stew his mother had prepared.

Valka directed a half-thankful, half-troubled look at Rhea. In response, she received a mildly pitying glance.

(...)

'The joys of living with Stoick the Vast,' Rhea thought to herself while examining Valka's bruises with a knowing eye. 'Bet she has even more impressive ones on her hips.'

Surprisingly, these thoughts didn't cause her any pain, or even discomfort. Only amusement.

The more Rhea got to know Valka, the more she was finding it hard to hate the woman. Mostly, because, in some twisted way, that wayward Viking reminded her of herself. Valka was a conflicted soul, an imperfect and scarred woman whose actions also scarred others. A woman who, without downplaying any of her dishonorable deeds, explained herself in a way that inspired compassion. She betrayed her people, but only after they have turned down everything she had to offer. They have essentially pissed upon her sincerest efforts at improving their lives and bullied her so much she came to view herself as a hazard to the tribe, including her own family. When a chance appeared to disappear from their lives without completely ruining her reputation, not to mention make herself useful elsewhere, where her talents were appreciated… should it really come as a surprise that she went for it?

Valka wasn't a monster. She was only human. A human Rhea could sympathize with. Someone she could – potentially – consider a friend.

It was strange, almost unsettling, the relationship that blossomed between the two of them.

(...)

Though maybe not quite as weird as the fact that a real-life chieftess was dinning at a Peacable farmer's table.

"Delicious," Valka commented the meal she was served.

Rhea accepted the compliment with a smirk. "Plain old cabbage and some onions. You can't go wrong with that."

Privately, she couldn't help a sense of triumph. From what she could recall, cooking wasn't Valka's forte ('They were hard on the stomach,' Stoick had said of his wife's meat dishes. 'Even wild boars couldn't handle them,' Gobber had added.).

Rhea had to admit, she was tempted to try those infamous concoctions. Her stomach could handle pretty much everything, and she saw no reason why Valka's creations should be any worse than any of the goddamn awful shit she's tasted throughout her life.

At the moment, however, she was more interested in hearing the Dragon Whisperer's story.

Before, Valka had only briefly summarized the events that brought her back to Berk - it made no sense to say too much, as she was going to have to repeat everything to the others, anyway. Besides, Rhea was more likely to appreciate the story once she has dealt with the initial shock. So far, the assumptions were tuning out to be true. She has indeed relaxed enough to enjoy the fantastic tale - along with the audience's reactions.

(...)

"For a while, Hiccup and Toothless stayed in the Sanctuary, with Hiccup's mom and her flock," Valka was saying. "Hiccup's mom did her best to make them feel welcome. She especially wanted to make it up to her son for all the those years he had to spend without her. She told him stories, taught him tricks, showed him special places, unavailable to ordinary humans. Hiccup enjoyed spending time with his mother and the dragons. It was amazing, being surrounded by so many different dragons and studying them in their gorgeous habitat. Still, no wonders of the world could make up for what the boy had lost. Every day, he said to his mother: 'Mom, let's go home,' and every day she replied: 'No, son, we can't go back.'."

"But why?" Raina interrupted.

If the Dragon Whisperer was frustrated about having to repeat the same piece of information over and over again, she did a good job hiding it. "Hiccup's mom was afraid of what might happen if they do go back," she explained. "She was afraid people would harm her son, the dragons, and herself. Hiccup, however, did not care for the danger. All he could think about was having a family again, a complete family, with his mother, father, and his best friend. If there was a chance, however small, for all of them to live together, in peace, he was going to take it."

Dragon was impressed. "I like Hiccup," he decided. "He's brave."

Rhea was more inclined to describe Hiccup as 'reckless', but she wasn't going to argue with her son – not when he was forming a positive image of his older brother.

"I don't like Hiccup's mom," said Raina in a small voice.

"Because she left Hiccup when he was a baby?" guessed Valka.

Raina nodded. "Yes. Moms should be with their babies."

To Valka's credit, she put on a brave face. "You are right, Raina – they should. Hiccup's mom knew she did a horrible thing by not coming back home for all those years. Even when Hiccup forgave her, she was afraid his father may not be as merciful. She was so ashamed of herself, of what she had done. This is another reason why she told Hiccup they were safer in the Sanctuary."

"So she was a liar," concluded Dragon.

Valka tried very hard to manage a discreet sigh through a forced smile. "Let's move on."

Rhea would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy watching the other woman's struggles. There was something perversely satisfying in having her son roast her 'rival'. The fact that the Chieftess of Berk had no choice but to swallow her pride and pretend everything was okay was the icing on the cake. Nonetheless, for a woman who never had to deal with small children, she handling herself just fine - Rhea had to give her that.

Getting over the brief interruption, Valka went on with her tale. "One day, Hiccup's mom said: 'Son, there are dragon trappers in the neighborhood. They are dangerous people and they have laid dangerous traps. I am going to take my trusted dragons, find those traps, and destroy them, so that none of us get caught. You and Toothless must stay in the Sanctuary and wait until we come back.' To this, Hiccup said: 'Sure, mom. You go and do your thing, the two of us will stay put.' However, as soon as his mother was out of sight, he told Toothless what he really thought. You see, Hiccup got tired of arguing with his mother. He thought, if he couldn't convince her to come home with him, he had to bring his father to the Sanctuary, instead. Toothless wasn't fully convinced, but he could see how much it meant to his human. So, he agreed to take the boy back to Berk."

"Cool!" said Dragon, impressed.

"But it was dangerous!" said Raina, fearful.

As for Rhea, she merely shook her head. 'Welcome to motherhood, sister,' she teased the other woman mentally. She then leaned back in her seat, with way more casualness than she normally displayed. Watching the former hermit interact with the children at hand and hearing of the misadventures she's had with her own teenage son, Rhea enjoyed a sense of superiority not unlike that an experienced matron has over a maid. The fact that she and Valka were of the same age was making it even funnier.

Having caught Sig's dumbfounded expression, Rhea toned her reactions down somewhat. He was right – she should control herself better. Gods forbid Dragon or Raina should see the nasty smirk that spread on her face.

The tale resumed with the consequences of Hiccup's disobedience. Sure enough, his and Toothless's journey was cut short, and abruptly so. They were hit by a net-containing missile – very much like the one Hiccup had shot Toothless with. Unable to fly, they plummeted down, into the hard and unforgiving ground. Later, when Hiccup regained consciousness, he found out that his left leg was badly broken, and Toothless apprehended and put in chains.

"Do you see now why it is so important to always think things through?" Valka asked the children. "Hiccup left the Sanctuary despite his mother's warnings and despite Toothless's protests. In doing so, he put himself, and his best friend, in danger. If he wasn't so reckless, this wouldn't have happened."

Dragon and Raina were lost for words.

"Then again," Valka continued, "Toothless could have refused Hiccup's request. He knew better, and yet, he went along with Hiccup's plan." She considered her young listeners with a pained expression. "Dragon, Raina, you must always look out for your friends. If somebody you care about is about to do something stupid, you must stop them from doing it. They may get angry, but in the end, they will thank you for your help."

"Yes, Ma'am," said the children in unison.

What Valka said next, surprisingly, was directed at the adult listeners. "Rhea, Sigurd, here is advice for you – listen to your children. Don't be like Hiccup's mother, who disregarded her son's pain for so long he ran away from her. Sometimes, it is necessary to deny a young heart's desires. However, to ignore such desires will only make them worse," she fell silent for a moment, the focus disappearing from her eyes. "Hiccup's mother should have known that. Of all people, she should have known that. And yet…" trailing off, the Chieftess of Berk dropped her gaze to the table. She rubbed her forehead rather hard and heaved a sigh.

It took her addressees a good while to collect their thoughts.

Sig moved his lips soundlessly before blurting "Umh. Keh-kay. I ge-t-t-it."

Rhea reflected on the story soberly. She didn't think there could be anything surprising about a tale of Hiccup's misadventure, but boy, was she proven wrong. Every memory she had of the young heir was popping up in front of her mind's eye, changing, transforming, calling for a reevaluation.

Rhea remembered Hiccup, a puny boy who wouldn't sit still for a minute. She remembered how he loved playing with Gobber's tools, how he swung his toy sword at imaginary dragons, but hid behind her apron when Snotlout made a scary face. She remembered the many bruises and scratches she had to wash, ice and kiss, wondering if the boy who never listened to anyone would let his own body, at very least, teach him what he could and couldn't do.

'Takes after his mother,' was the general consensus.

'His father's quite a stubborn buck, too, but gods forbid anyone'd blame the chief,' was Gobber's input.

Nobody said was what Rhea was realizing just now – so much of Hiccup's persistence could be attributed to her. She was always pushing him to be brave, even it meant getting hurt. She praised him for standing up to those stronger than himself. She encouraged him to act like a model Viking, no matter how ill-suited he seemed for the role. And then, she had the nerve to shake her head in disbelief at the amount of bruises and scratches she had to wash, ice and kiss.

'If only I had been as understanding of him as I am now,' she thought, not without remorse.

Rhea cared about Hiccup, no matter how hard she pretended otherwise. Even if the boy did drive her up the wall, with surprising ease and even more surprising frequency, she'd still jump into the fire for him. Not because he was Stoick's son, but because he was an important part of her life. They had years of history together; years of her trying to get things done while keeping one eye on him; countless raids spent in each other's embrace, with her repeating over and over that daddy would be fine. You can't remain truly indifferent to somebody after caring for them for so long ('Unless you are my grandfather,' Rhea thought grimly).

Still, she could never truly love him. Hiccup was another woman's leftover, and this simple fact weighted heavily on Rhea's heart, preventing her from showing the child too much affection.

Acknowledging this, she shamed herself.

The heavy silence lasted for a good while more before Dragon decided he couldn't take it anymore. "But what happened next?" he demanded, reminding the adults they were in the middle of a narration.

Valka jumped back into the role, her regrets pushed aside for the time being. She explained that, once Hiccup and Toothless had fled Berk, their friend Astrid had come to the chief and told him the story of their friendship. This was a very brave thing Astrid had done, to face the very muscular and very upset chief, known for his hatred for dragons, and tell him that his own son had befriended the scariest dragon of all. Oh, the chief was not very kind to Astrid, not in the slightest.

"So why did Astrid go to him?" Dragon wanted to know.

"She wanted him to know his son was safe," Valka explained. "That the Night Fury was Hiccup's friend and would protect him, if need be."

"Did the chief believe her?" Raina inquired, sounding concerned.

"Not at first," admitted Valka. "You must remember – he was worried sick about his missing son, and much less welcoming of absurd ideas than he normally would have been. But then, once he thought about it soberly, he couldn't help but wonder - what if Hiccup was right? What if the Viking way was wrong? It is no easy task, to admit that your people have been doing things the wrong way for three hundred years. Even more so when you are the chief, the person responsible for upholding your tribe's traditions and observing the laws."

These words pleased Rhea, which she expressed by nodding. She was glad that Stoick was getting some credit for everything he had to endure. Before, she'd questioned whether or not Valka understood the pressures of chiefing, given the extra weight she'd been dumping onto her husband's shoulders before her apparent death. To hear her acknowledge his rights and motivations was soothing.

Valka went on to discuss the solution Astrid had proposed to Stoick. If they were ever to find Hiccup, she reasoned, they needed to cooperate with dragons. If they were to defeat the evil dragon Queen and end the plague once and for all, they had to be united. Vikings and dragons. Together.

Stoick was conflicted. The Viking way would have been to declare both Hiccup and Astrid as traitors to the tribe, and have them outcasted. If Stoick were to approve of Astrid's plan, his people could accuse him of favoritism, madness, or weakness of character.

"Stoick had to decide what mattered more – his son or his honor," concluded Valka. "As the chief, he was prepared to make sacrifices for his people, be it his comfort, his honor, or his very life. But not his son. Not Hiccup. He meant more to Stoick than anything else in the world. If there was a chance, however slim, of bringing his little boy home, Stoick would cling to it with all his power. And so he gave Astrid his blessing to get the dragons involved in the search."

The narrator took a moment to look at her audience. "Stoick was a good father," she said, her voice ringing of solemn adoration.

Again, Rhea voiced her approval with a nodd, throwing in a wistful smile.

As Vikings, they were taught from early on that life was about enduring hardships and pushing forwards. A Viking feels no pain, and the Viking chief is the most unfeeling of them all.

Bullshit. The chief – this particular chief – feels pain. He feels so much of it. Everybody assumes it's easy to be strong and brave when you're so huge and skilled, but that's also bullshit. A chief, even one as magnificent as Stoick, is still a human at the end of the day.

As his housekeeper, Rhea got to witness this side of him first-hand.

Berk was a land of kill or be killed. Every raid could have been Stoick's last, every time he went out could be the last time she saw him. The idea of losing him, who held all of Berk together, was unbearable. The idea of living the rest of her days without this remarkable, irreplaceable warrior, who was fiercely devoted to his people, cared so much for his runty son, and made her feel like she mattered, that was the one thing Rhea couldn't stomach.

This was why she had gathered the guts to offer herself to him. She wanted him to know how much he meant to her, specifically. How much she, specifically, would miss him, if perished. She wasn't going to pretend she could make a significant contribution to his life, but at very least, she wanted to give him some pleasant memories. Oh, he was reluctant. And boy, she had no idea what she was doing. Alas, all humans need connections. Even chiefs.

Stoick cried in his sleep. Rhea pretended not to notice.

She wondered if he still did that.

Probably not anymore, since he had Valka. But those last eight years? Very likely.

Alas, there was no changing the past. The future, on the other hand, was looking promising.

(…)

Valka recalled how Hiccup and Toothless were saved by the combined forces of Hiccup's mother and his friends from Berk, most notably the brave Astrid. She mentioned that Hiccup developed a fever, but skipped the part about him calling out for Rhea – it was not the right time to reveal her role in the story. Thereafter, she summarized how everybody made the journey back to Berk, where Hiccup's injured leg was treated by the laeknar. She related how relieved Chief Stoick was to have his son back. Finally, she reached the point where Hiccup's mother removed her helmet and let the entire Tribe know who she was.

Somehow, talking about herself in third person felt weirder, less appropriate, in the context of that particular moment.

"The eyes of the entire Tribe were on Hiccup's mother. And so, she spoke to all of them. She reminded them of all the effort she put into stopping their war with the dragons all those years ago, only to be put down. She told them about her life at the Sanctuary, and how much more useful she was to the dragons than she had ever been to humans. Then, finally, she apologized for the way she hurt her family."

Valka paused, closing her eyes. She needed a moment to sort through those memories. The look of pure wonder on Stoick's face. Her own relief at realizing he had no intention of causing her harm. Their joint confusion and vulnerability. That brief, tender touch of his lips to hers. Oh, it was futile to ever attempt describing the magnitude of emotions that filled their reunion. Thus, Valka opted for a simple, sweet summary.

"When she turned to her husband, she expected him to be beside himself with fury, but he… it seemed as though he wasn't hearing what she was saying. He just stared at her, with his eyes wide open. Then he approached her, slowly, still staring. He touched her face, very gently, and said…" she couldn't help a glance at Rhea. "You're as beautiful as the day I lost you."

The children let out an awe. And Rhea – gods bless her – was smiling in approval. "What a lucky girl."

Valka could only nod in agreement. "The luckiest girl in the world."

(...)

Rhea had been anxious to hear how Valka and Stoick's reunion played out. There were tears, she assumed. Heck, she would have cried her remaining eye out if she had been there. She might yet do that, given the images that sprung to her mind. Valka didn't need to be descriptive – her imagination provided the details, an astonishing abundance of them.

The former Berkian sighed. She was happy for Stoick and Valka. Yet, she would be lying if she said she wasn't jealous, too. Their love was a real deal. Even disregarding the epic factor (a Viking Chief and a Dragon Whisperer whose love bridged a gap between two worlds – how impressive was that?), the bond between these two was just so beautiful. To love somebody and be loved in return was the best thing that could happen to a human being.

But it won't be happening to all.

Rhea glanced at Sig. It wasn't much of a guessing game as to what feelings the story stirred in his heart. The noble chief got to reunite with the love of his life. He, a simple farmer, would be alone forever. He may have learned to manage without Gerda, he may have had genuinely happy moments since she passed, but it just wasn't the same anymore.

Rhea discreetly slid her foot under the table and rubbed it against Sig's. His eyes fixed on her. She offered something akin to a smile – an awkward, bittersweet expression, completed by the slight wetness in the corner of her eye. Her friend wasted no words – he flashed an awkward smile of his own. An epic love story may not have been in the cards for either of them, but the bond they had was a miracle in its own right. Best of all, none of their private matters would ever become a source of anybody's entertainment.

Acting on an impulse, Rhea addressed Sig's daughter. "See, Raina? Hiccup's mother brought him back home. She was so scared of what their tribe may do to her, but she chose to face them, to make sure her son got the help he needed. I think this proves that Hiccup's wellbeing was more important to her than her own. Wouldn't you agree?"

The words, while directed at the little girl, held a special message for Valka – don't worry, I've got your back. The Dragon Whisperer was visibly touched. Who, in their right frame of mind, could disregard the power of friendship? It was bloody amazing, and Rhea would stand by it.

Raina, meanwhile, seemed to have come to a decision. "I guess... she's not so bad... Maybe she just needed a second chance."

Valka and Rhea both smiled warmly. This was their joint victory, and neither of them doubted it.

"Couldn't agree more," Rhea told Raina.

(...)

Valka quickly summarized the events that followed. The plan to end the human-dragon war for good. How Stoick learned to ride with Toothless. How the Bewilderbeast defeated the Queen out of her Nest, with the help of all the dragons who had formerly served her. How everybody celebrated afterwards. How, by the time Hiccup woke up, the world turned upside down.

"But the story does not end here."

Valka considered her words gravely and carefully. This past hour she had labored hard on creating just the right setup for the next phase of her plan. She could not afford to screw it up now.

"You noticed, I assume, that I never mentioned the name of Hiccup's mother. I will say it now: Valka. Valka is me and I am her. I am the mother of Hiccup and the wife of Stoick the Vast, chief of the Hooligan Tribe of Berk. I am that mysterious, feral dragon lady. And everything I've told you is true."

Sig and the children were stunned into silence. Rhea fidgeted, scanning the faces of her close ones for reactions. Valka sat still, forcing herself to wait until somebody else made the next move.

That person, unsurprisingly, was Dragon. "Really?" he asked, awestruck.

"Really," said Valka.

"And you really lived in an ice cave and beat up a whole lot of hunter and you can fly on dragons and they let you?" he asked, pulling himself up.

Valka hesitated. "Well, basically…"

The boy studied her intensively, and she could swear his whole body shivered with excitement. When Sig and Raina were still in deep shock, this child was grinning with the purest, most sincere joy. "Oh. My. Awesome!" he jumped in his seat. "You guys heard that? She' a hero! A real hero! How cool is that?!"

Judging by Sig and Raina's dumbfound expressions, 'cool' was the last word they'd use to describe this situation. In Raina's case, shock may have morphed into cautious curiosity and mild confusion, but her father was bracing himself for a full-blown catastrophe. This woman, this stranger who dined at his able, she was a very important, a very powerful person. A chief for a husband and dragons for allies he could tolerate in a fictional character, but in a friend of a friend? What the hell?! If he could find his voice, he'd yell at Rhea! How could she do this to him?!

Seeing through his discomfort, Valka rushed in with further explanations. "There's one more thing. In this story, there is a character I have not mentioned, a very important character. When Hiccup was a little boy, his father had a housekeeper. The housekeeper looked after Hiccup, and he loved her very much," she smiled at the other woman at the table. "That housekeeper's name was Rhea."

Sig's and children's mouths dropped open. Three pairs of eyes drilled into Rhea.

"Yes, you've heard it right," the former Berkian confirmed, her tone dry and matter-of-fact. "That Rhea is me."

Dragon was staring at his mother with a whole new level of fascination. "You know Hiccup?"

"I used to know him, a long time ago. I was born and raised on Berk. For several years I looked after the chief's household, including his son."

Though Rhea kept her cool, Valka thought she caught a glimpse of wistful light in her amber eye.

Dragon could hardly contain his excitement. "That's so…! Wait, hold it!"

Fast as a lightning and no less subtle, he dove under the table and emerged in front of his mother. "Why don't I know about this? How old was I then?"

"That was before you were born," explained Rhea, helping him onto her lap.

"I was in your stomach?"

"It was even earlier than that."

"Oh," he thought for a moment. "That's a long time ago."

Rhea gave him a faint, burdened smile. "Yeah."

She glanced at the host and his daughter. None of this mess should have been their concern, but here they were – about as comfortable as a worm on a hook. She wished she could offer them some reassurance, but she doubted she could muster enough of it for herself. And she had yet to confess her sins.

"It's funny how your past can sneak up on you, isn't it?" she remarked to no one in particular. "The truth is, the chief and I did not part on good terms. We had a nasty argument. I said some very mean things to him and he said some very mean things to me. I was so angry I didn't want to see him ever again," she paused, as a bitter lump blocked her throat. In an attempt to swallow it down, she stroked her son's hair. Having caught a lock into her finger, she played with it for a moment. What beautiful hair he had. Springy, voluminous, with a well-defined coil. So much like her own. So much like mother's. To think that a part of her bloodline could crash against that of Stoick the Vast and come out victorious… that was amusing.

Soothed for the time being, Rhea picked up where she'd stopped. "After that, I left Berk and never returned. Because of my wounded pride, I turned my back on everyone who's ever cared about me. I had good friends on Berk, and I abandoned them, just like this. And Hiccup… he made it for me," her hand went up to the leathercraft covering her disfigurement. "My eye-patch. He made it himself. I don't think I ever said 'thank you'," she grimaced, pulling fingers into a fist and pressing the spot where her eye used to be. Finally, having spared a moment to collect herself, she considered her son with a wan half-smile. "Yes, Dragon. Your mommy screwed up big time."

This time, Dragon appeared to be more confused than Sig and Raina combined. It was safe to assume he'd never heard his mother admit to a "screw-up", and certainly not when appearing so vulnerable. He wasn't sure how to react. He understood that she was sad, and all of his instincts were telling him to cheer her up. He just didn't know how.

Then – to everybody's surprise – the heavy silence was broken by the faintest voice.

"Did…" the voice trembled, "Did the chief hurt you, auntie…?"

The question, the tiniest bit louder than a whisper, coming from a worried girl, spoke volumes to the adults.

Its addressee, Rhea, forced herself to smile. "His words hurt me, Raina," she said gently, her tone as reassuring as she could manage. "Although, I'm pretty sure my words hurt him just as much. I guess you could say we are equally guilty."

Raina thought about it for a moment. "Then... you can make up? If you're sad and he's sad, then you can both say sorry and be friends again. Right?"

Rhea had to smile at that. The little girl had her heart in the right place. "I'd love nothing more, Raina."

"The chief also feels this way," Valka interjected. "He is very sorry about saying those horrible things to Rhea. He feels responsible for driving her away. This nasty argument they had weights on his conscience to this day."

She paused, focusing yet again on Rhea. "This is why I'm here. My son Hiccup gave me a second chance. He brought me and my husband back together. It is my turn to help the woman they used to love. Rhea. Will you come home?"

Rhea drew in a breath, let it out slowly, and looked down at her son. Poor little darling, he still appeared quite troubled. Fortunately, it wouldn't be for long. "Dragon," she caressed his face, while a gentle smile brightened her own. "Would you like to meet Hiccup?"

The boy hesitated only briefly. "Yes! I want that!" he exclaimed, his spirits lifted. His mother was no longer sad and he had a chance of meeting a real-life hero boy – of course he was up to it!

Rhea drew him close and planted a kiss on the top of his head. Contented, she smiled at Valka. "Then we will go to Berk."